Announcing District Business Guides: Manufahi District

This Peace Dividend Trust (PDT) Timor-Leste District Business Guide is the first in a new series of PDT District Business Guides. The Guide is based on verification activities undertaken by PDT in Manufahi during August 2008 and features the details of thirty-nine Manufahi businesses.

In coming months, PDT will produce District Business Guides for all of Timor-Leste’s thirteen districts. The data included in this guide was accurate at the time of survey. Resources permitting, the data will be updated at regular intervals. In case of errors or inaccuracies, please write to timordatabase@peacedividendtrust.org or contact PDT on +670 332 2823.

What is PDT and what does PDT do?PDT works to connect buyers with suppliers both national and international in order to stimulate the economy and create jobs. To this end PDT opened a Tender Distribution Centre in December 2007, commenced matchmaking activities in January 2008 and launched a Timor-Leste Online Procurement Website in May 2008. PDT also offers tailored training assistance.

What has PDT achieved to date?Since commencing activities in Timor-Leste in late 2007, PDT has achieved the following outcomes: • Verified approximately 1,700 businesses in all thirteen districts of Timor-Leste, with reverification presently underway to ensure that the database remains current. • Entered the details of over 1,500 businesses into the PDT Online Procurement Database located at www.buildingmarkets.org In the first four months of operation this database attracted 4000 visitors who made a total of 25,000 page views. • Completed 266 matchmaking requests equating to an estimated USD 2 million. • Completed 972 micro-matchmaking requests equating to an estimated USD 1 million. • Operated a Tender Distribution Centre which has distributed 171 tenders, thereby facilitating an estimated USD 5.3 million in local procurement. • Opened an online tender-posting service featuring Timor-Leste Government tenders and Intent to Award notices. Within the first sixty days, 148 tenders and award notices (equivalent to USD 15 million of Government spending) were posted on this electronic archive. • Initiated the development of a Buy Local Baucau Business Guide (featuring city map)

In coming weeks, PDT Timor-Leste will consolidate its achievements with the release of a national profile of the Timor-Leste business community based upon the business verification activities undertaken since November 2007.

About this Business GuideWhere possible, the businesses in this Guide have been ordered according to main area of business activity. However, users of this guide are urged to review the section on General Supplier and Service Providers in addition to more specific sections of the Guide when searching for goods and services in the district of Manufahi. Those users equipped with a computer will be benefit from the use of the PDF-file ‘search’ function.

About Peace Dividend Trust Timor-LestePeace Dividend Trust is an international NGO, headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. The Timor-Leste project is funded by AusAID. PDT is a not-for-profit entity. All of its services are provided to the community free of charge.